Economics
The Changing Face of Farms: Women Step In as U.S. Growers Age
- Number of female producers increased 27 percent since 2012
- New farm census shows producers are still mainly white
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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As the average U.S. farmer ages, more women are stepping up as decision makers to help feed a booming global population.
The number of female producers increased 27 percent in the five years through 2017, according to the first new federal census of U.S. farms since 2012. More farms are reporting that multiple individuals are involved in decision making, with total producers increasing 6.9 percent from 2012.